Russian tankers fuelled North Korea via transfers at sea

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state.

The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world’s second biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach U.N. sanctions, the security sources said.

The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland.

“Russian vessels have made ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to North Korean vessels on several occasions this year in breach of sanctions,” the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

A second source, who independently confirmed the existence of the Russian ship-to-ship fuel trade with North Korea, said there was no evidence of Russian state involvement in the latest transfers.

“There is no evidence that this is backed by the Russian state but these Russian vessels are giving a lifeline to the North Koreans,” the second European security source said.

The two security sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of the vessels operating out of Russian Far Eastern ports on the Pacific but declined to disclose further details to Reuters, saying it was classified.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Russian Customs Service both declined to comment when asked on Wednesday if Russian ships had supplied fuel to North Korean vessels. The owner of one ship accused of smuggling oil to North Korea denied any such activity.

The latest report came as China, responding on Friday to criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, denied it had illicitly shipped oil products to North Korea.

North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning. It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear programme that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia.

“The vessels are smuggling Russian fuel from Russian Far Eastern ports to North Korea,” said the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Reuters was unable to independently verify that the vessels had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels, whether the Russian state knew about the sales or how many Russian vessels were involved in the transfers. It was also unclear how much fuel may have been smuggled.

Ship satellite positioning data consulted by Reuters and available on Reuters Eikon shows unusual movements by some of the Russian vessels named by the security sources including switching off the transponders which give a precise location.

The security sources said the Russian-flagged tanker Vityaz was one vessel that had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels.

The Vityaz left the port of Slavyanka near Vladivostok in Russia on Oct. 15 with 1,600 tonnes of oil, according to Russian port control documents.

Documents submitted by the vessel’s agent to the Russian State Port Control authority showed its destination as a fishing fleet in the Japan Sea. Shipping data showed the vessel switched off its transponder for a few days as it sailed into open waters.

According to the European security sources, the Vityaz conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the North Korean Flagged Sam Ma 2 tanker in open seas during October.

Reuters could not independently verify the transfer as ship tracking data showed that the Sam Ma 2 had turned off its transponder from the start of August.

The owner of the Russian vessel denied any contact with North Korean vessels but also said it was unaware that the vessel was fuelling fishing boats.

Yaroslav Guk, deputy director of the tanker’s owner, Vladivostok-based Alisa Ltd, said the vessel had no contacts with North Korean vessels.

“Absolutely no, this is very dangerous,” Guk told Reuters by telephone. “It would be complete madness.”

When contacted a second time, Guk said the vessel did not have any contacts with North Korean ships and that he would not answer further questions.

An official at East Coast Ltd, the vessel’s transport agent, declined to comment.

Two other Russian flagged tankers made similar journeys between the middle of October and November, leaving from the ports of Slavyanka and Nakhodka into open seas where they switched off their transponders, shipping data showed.

In September, Reuters reported that at least eight North Korean ships that left Russia loaded with fuel this year headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations, a ploy that U.S. officials say is often used to undermine sanctions.

A Russian shipping source with knowledge of Far Eastern marine practices said North Korean vessels had stopped loading fuel in Russia’s Far Eastern ports but that fuel is delivered at sea by tankers using ship-to-ship transfers, or even by fishing vessels.

China on Friday denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

China’s denial came a day after it blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six ships Washington believes had engaged in illicit trade with North Korea, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said.

According to documents seen by Reuters this month, the United States had proposed that the U.N. Security Council blacklist 10 ships for illicit trade with North Korea.

It accused the vessels of “conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels or illegally transporting North Korean coal to other countries for exports.”

Three North Korean ships among the 10 were blacklisted, along with a Panama-registered vessel.

If they don’t get oil its the ordinary people who will suffer, the ordinary people should never be made to suffer .

Anansi Tori

Good action from the Russians & the Chinese. Give the Americans their UNSC vote they want, but keep NK supplied through the backdoor since those “sanctions” are completely misplaced anyway. The country that should be sanctioned here is the US.

Plasma Dawn

No, talking out of both sides of one’s mouth and saying one thing and doing another may be good in your world, not in the real one. It is simply ignorant to be gleeful about breaking and circumventing UNSC decisions because once you do this to one resolution you start going down a slippery slope with no end in sight towards making that institution completely irrelevant — something not even someone like you would want.

ROC

Oh so your a lover of Kim Yong? are you?

Vladimir

“The owner of one ship accused of smuggling oil to North Korea…” – smuggling??
Who the hell are you to rule us?? We’re independent country and don’t need your fake friendship! I’m pleased by opportunity to support my President who doesn’t allow idiots like you to interfere into our country to ‘teach’ us how to live.

Plasma Dawn

May I remind you that your independent country voted for those very sanctions? There’s are many words for someone who says one thing and does another: dishonest, liar, cheater, double-dealer, untrustworthy, etc.

GSP

“but declined to disclose further details to Reuters, saying it was classified”
Just who are these ‘further details’ being kept from? The UN supposedly knows about it, the Russians supposedly know about it, so why is it secret?

Veritas

One totalitarian state supports another.
Oil and weapons are huge incomes for Putin.

GSP

And weapons provide huge incomes for UK and USA.

Veritas

Absolutely, but they don’t sell oil to NK.

GSP

Oil is not made to kill people, weapons are. What is the biggest use of oil – and what is the main purpose of weapons?

Veritas

Without the oil Kim Jong-Un can’t keep his rearmament going.
It’s an essential part of the very existence of this oppressive society which is build on a huge army, loyal to the Supreme Leader.
The oil important to NK is mainly used for the army and the development of arms including nuclear weapons.
In other words, Russia is helping this totalitarian state to develop their war machine so as to oppress their own people and intimidating many of their neighbours.
It’s also known that Russia through middlemen, are suppling military technology to NK.
Both the West,Russia and China are guilty to this type of “trading in destruction”, since it’s highly profitable and generates work for a huge number of people in their home countries.

Neroli

And France and Germany…… not just UK!

Evergreen

The highest .

Anansi Tori

As they are for the US, supplying a.o. Saudi Arabia to exterminate Yemenis, ISIS, the Taliban, and numerous murderous regimes around the world.

Veritas

Correct,I agree.
But it would be nice to hear you condemn Russia as well, since they are second to USA to sell deadly weapon systems around the World or as in this case keep a despot floating on the back of his impoverished people.
One evil doesn’t justify the other.

Anansi Tori

I also condemn Russia or its weapons sales. But why do you just mention Russia, and not the Israel, the UK, France, Germany, China, ….

Contrary to what most readers of my comments think, I am not trying to only condemn crimes carried out by the US or the Zionist “country”, and whitewash crimes carried out by Russia, China, the EU or any other country. What I do not accept is double standards & hypocrisy, which is what US government propaganda beams continuously to the rest of the world via its sycophantic MSM outlets. It is incessant Russia-bashing, Iran-bashing, North Korea-bashing, China-bashing, Syria-bashing, etc. etc. And this propaganda consists of lies only.

Here too, you will call me out that Russia propaganda is full of lies, and undoubtedly it is, but the big difference is that Russia does not attack other countries will-nilly & use its propaganda to justify that.

Plasma Dawn

Russia does not attack other countries? Apparently you haven’t heard of the hostile annexation of Crimea where Russian soldiers without insignias took control of strategic positions and infrastructure within the that territory, the ethnic Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine supported by Russia with equipment and troops, or the attack on Georgia over the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Vladimir

UN, led by Brits and US, sponsored ‘revolutions’ in Georgia and Ukraine. We just defended people, especially Russians living there, from their aggression and made sure their votes were taken into consideration when they in legitimate way decided on the future of their states…
Wherever you come, you bring death and huge problems: Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi… the list goes on and on.
If Putin didn’t support legitimate President of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad would have been on that list (list of murdered leaders by UN) as well.
Very sad!

Anansi Tori

PD & the others don’t like to read reality, they prefer to have government propaganda spoon-fed to them so they don’t have to think & only need to regurgitate parrot-wise what their “brains” have been washed with.

Plasma Dawn

Reality? Like the kind of solid, fact-based reality you have promoted in the past as Paranam Kid, e.g., Israel coercing Palestinian women to undergo abortions and Jewish settlers having their fetuses for weekend barbecues?

Plasma Dawn

May I remind you that the only revolutions which took place in Ukraine and Georgia were perpetrated by ethnic Russians seeking to separate from those countries. Crimea, South Ossetia, Abkhazia were successfully tor apart from Ukraine and Georgia and the eastern Ukraine separatists are still working at it with the full support of mother Russia.

Vladimir

PD, ‘ethnic Russians’ is not a negative phrase but a number of people who have all the rights to do what they believe is in their best interests.
UN suspiciously pays too much attention on what’s happening around our borders. Why?? What is your problem?? You’ve got your business there??

Plasma Dawn

I haven’t the foggiest what you’re babbling about. Where exactly did I say ‘ethnic Russians’ was a negative phrase? Besides, the topic was Russia and its aggression. Whatever the UN does or does not is another story.

Vladimir

I read your message between the lines and it appears that ‘ethnic Russians’ is negative in your humble opinion.
Anyhow, being unable to defend yourself on your own, you need NATO and UN. It is clear you don’t like powerful countries, and countries with huge natural resources which you would like to rule and explore under fake ‘I want to help you’ intention. Czechoslovakia, Iraq, Libya, and Syria have learnt their lesson. It’s now time for Iran: today on WallStreetJournal you can see the headline “White House Backs Protesters in Iran, Threatens Sanctions”. Is that your help??

Evergreen

Unfortunately you are correct in your info in last two lines.

USA, unnecessarilly is creating a problem with Iran. My assessment :two factors-one -to prove that Obama’s decision was wrong and secondly- Trump’s love for Israel as Israel is his son in law and therefore as a great super father in law Trumo is doing any and every action which pleases Israel. It seems that in the name of Trump Israel is dictating all policies of USA of today. Situation is going towards a very dangerous direction.

Vladimir

Jews in the government is disaster for any nation.

Veritas

What you don’t seem to understand regarding “what’s happening around our borders” and the UN’s attention, is the simple fact that your neighbours, like the Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine etc. feel threatened by you, due to past bad experiences.
All those countries have asked the UN to monitor what’s going on around your borders. It’s also their own decision to become members of NATO for the very same reasons.
All citizens in those countries, including Russian speaking persons, have to conform to the democratic process in those countries. They have no right whatsoever to “have all the rights to do what they believe is in their best interests”!

Vladimir

I will NEVER believe if you say you wanna help them. Cause your ‘help’ always comes with overthrowing leaders of independent countries, murders, provocations, and many other problems for those regions…

Plasma Dawn

I haven’t the foggiest what you’re babbling about. Where exactly did I mention helping anyone?

Anansi Tori

You see, PD’s reply to me confirms how scared trolls like her are scared stiff of reality, of facts, and they invariably try to obfuscate the discussion with completely irrelevant stories just to deflect from reality.

Yet more evidence: in her reply to you she tries to argue the “evil empire” type angle by turning facts upside down by saying it was the ethnic Russians who started the “revolutions” in Ukraine & Georgia, even though those republics were quiet until the US fomented chaos & “rebellion” against the governments that were not suitable to its imperialist designs. And, once again, the situation backfired in the US’s face.

Vladimir

Agree!

SuzieQ

Selective recall by this Anansi Tori, I think?

Veritas

Good to hear.
I condemned Russia this time since the article specifically mentioned Russia.
If you follow my postings, I always try to limit my comments to the actual subject in question.
PD has made a comment below, regrading Russia’s attacks on other countries.
And don’t forget the attack (by then USSR) on Afghanistan, which became the embryo to Al Qaida, followed by the various terror groups we see today. They also controlled or actually occupied a number of European countries 1945-1990, including the invasion of Hungary 1956 and Czechoslovakia1968.

Anansi Tori

Russia did not attack Crimea. Russia had soldiers stationed there as part of its naval base – this was an agreement with Ukraine. When the US-sponsored Orange revolution started, the democratically elected government of Victor Yanukovych was overthrown & a non-elected Western puppet government installed, people in Donetsk, Luhansk & Crimea were not happy with that.

An fair & open referendum took place in Crimea, with 92% of the people voting in favour of rejoining the Russian federation.No attacks to place.

Russia supported the ethnic Russians in Donetsk & Luhansk because they did not accept the fascist Petroshenko government installed by the US because that same government went after them. Why is Russian support not accepted when massive Western support with money & weapons (Trump just approved another massive $47 million in offensive weapons for Ukraine) has been going on since the start of the crisis. Why the double standards & hypocrisy.

Georgia did not accept the choice of the people of Abkhazia & South Ossetia, who asked for Russian support when Georgia decided to attack them.

And, as you undoubtedly know, since 1990 the Soviet Union is no more, and since then Russia has not attacked nor invaded any countries, unlike the AngloZionist Empire (AZE) across the Atlantic which has not stopped waging war on countries willy-nilly since the end of WW2.

As for Al Qeada, it was the US that sponsored the Afghan mujaheddin during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistand that gave rise to the Taliban & Al Qaeda. And it is the destruction of Iraq by the AZE & its financing, training & arming of “moderate” rebel groups during the “Arab Spring” in Syria that gave rise to ISIS. The subsequent AZE war on ISIS was completely ineffective, which is why the Russians stepped in at the invitation of Assad, and finished off ISIS.

PD mostly supports the double standards & hypocrisy of the West, which dovetails very nicely with the Hasbara garbage, double standards & hypocrisy she spews incessantly about her beloved ziofascist “country”. So her comments are complete bunk.

In conclusion, the “proof” you & PD present of Russia’s misbehaviour do not quite stack up with the reality. Having said that, I am perfectly aware that Russia also acts with its self-interest at heart, and its behaviour on the international political stage is not squeaky clean, but I do object to baseless Russia-bashing, or, for that matter to get back to the article, baseless North Korea-bashing & sanctions that are unfair & unjustified.

Veritas

Russia is a continuation of USSR whatever you want others to believe.
Putin is a product from the USSR and KGB.
You defend Russia even better then their Ambassador in Cyprus.
I think your obssed hate for USA/Israel has darkend your logical political vision and you’ve become a Don Quijote that see the big Satan in any critical comment of Russia.

Anansi Tori

1. If Russia is a continuation of the USSR:
A. what does that mean
B. what evidence do you have to support that statement?

2. Putin is a product of the USSR & KGB: so what? George H.W. Bush was the director of the CIA prior to winning the White House.

3. I have stated explicitly that I am aware that Russia also undertakes certain nefarious activities, but that I am against the double standards & hypocrisy that you and others display.

4. You have obviously run out of fact-based arguments, which s why you revert to ad hominem attacks. That shows your despair in trying to promote your Russia-bashing agenda. By all means, keep at it, you just make yourself more ridiculous that way.

GSP

You missed out a generation in the Afghanistan saga. The Russian occupation of that country was followed by the creation of the Taliban, a CIA funded organisation to get Russia out. It was that which morphed into Al Qaeda.

Veritas

Correct, but without the Russian invasion and occupation, no Al Qaeda and I know very well who armed them.

Plasma Dawn

One thing at a time. There are enough articles on CM about the US, Saudi Arabia, etc. where you can post your refined and erudite comments, but here the topic is Russian covert support of the NK regime in violation of their own vote in the UNSC. As Veritas correctly said, one evil doesn’t justify the other and if you keep bashing your favorite subjects over and over again under each and every article and regardless of the topic then you end up being a big yawn generator if not worse.

Jeremy Rigg

Russia at it again…..boy, these seudo – commies really take the biscuit.

Evergreen

It simply means NK has a direct support of Russia.

disqus_qVKPczqCH5

It means that both Russia and China are sneaky little backstabbing sh*ts and being on the UN security council isn’t worth the paper its printed on. They don’t give a damn if a war happens as long as their communist ideals are unheld and their trade balance is good. They both came to the NK,s rescue in 1953, and have been propping them up ever since, even if they have to lie through their teeth to do it.

Barry White

Both countries are venerated by many in the Sunny Isles and North London. In a very pricipled way.

Vladimir

True. Which explains a lot about those countries-prostitutes that try not to lose their face:)

Vladimir

We are sneaky? Good to know.
To prevent war, you, together with the US under fake UN, should stop dictating to others, including NK, how to live their way, you should also stop provoking them. Simply don’t interfere other countries and the world will become a bit safer.

Plasma Dawn

Simply don’t interfere with other countries—such as the civil war in Ukraine, the hostile annexation of Crimea, or the war with Georgia over South Ossetia and Abkhazia—and the world will become a bit safer.

Vladimir

Don’t teach us how to play Chess! Your main objective is to bring the war close to our borders and present us in ‘aggressive’ way, so Russian Empire could be weakened by undermining any support from other countries and ultimately defeated.
However, we’re so self-sufficient, that we mostly don’t need any support, and instead we can support countries that still maintain relative independence. Relative means in comparison with EU member-states that are mostly puppets under US supervision…

Veritas

Russia and previosly USSR both have a long tradition of dictating, interfering
and occupying other countries.

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